Mrs. Yoon walked toward the Huening's building at a fast clip, a strong, determined look on her face. This would be the first time she had seen her husband since she had moved out of the house, and she wasn't looking forward to it. She was determined to get through their meeting with as little contact as possible.
"Good morning, Sarang." said Mr. Choi awkwardly as he caught up with his partner.
"Hello, Minhwan." replied Sarang coolly, dismayed that they had arrived at the same time.
Minhwan coughed uncomfortably. "Uh, quite a storm we had this morning."
"Yes." She said, wishing he wouldn't bother with the pleasantries.
"Too bad it didn't cool anything off," said Mr. Choi, feeling the air with his hand. "It's still as hot as the Sahara desert. At least it's clearing up now, though."
Sarang ignored him, hurrying toward the glass doors and opening them before he could do it for her. She couldn't believe that he was acting as if everything were normal. After she had moved out, Mr. Choi had made no move to get her back. He had agreed to go through the divorce proceedings without a struggle. Even though her husband hadn't admitted he was having an affair with Mrs. Lee, the fact that he had given up so easily on their marriage was proof enough for her.
Once inside, Sarang walked rapidly past the security guards and up to the elevator bank, pressing the call button of the elevator. Tensely wringing her hands together, she waited for it to come. Minhwan joined her, and they stood waiting in awkward silence for several minutes. She pushed the button again. Nothing.
"Looks like it's out of order," Sarang finally said.
"I suppose we should inform the security guards. Excuse me," said Minhwan, making his way up to the security desk. "It appears the elevator is out of order."
"Yeah, we've been having trouble with these lifts this week," the security guard grumbled.
"We have a meeting in five minutes," said Minhwan politely. "Do you think you'll have the elevator fixed in time?"
"No, Sir, sorry to say, you're going to have to take the stairs." The security guard pointed toward the stairwell.
They turned in the direction indicated and trudged toward the stairs. Minhwan lapsed into silence again as they made their way together up the steps. Sarang seemed so unapproachable. He couldn't understand what had happened to make her so cold and remote Everything had been fine, and then one day, out of the blue, she had accused him of having an affair with Mrs. Lee. It's like she became a different person, he thought. She used to be so gracious and accommodating. Then suddenly she had become nagging and suspicious, constantly questioning his every move.
Mr. Choi Minhwan had always led a high-pressured business life, flying off to meetings with important industry executives all over the world, and Sarang had always supported him in his business endeavors. Infact, she was partly responsible for his success. He was a brilliant host whose refined manners and natural grace never failed to charm his clients. But then he had started doing business with Mrs. Lee, and his partner's attitude had totally changed. Sarang had accused him both of neglecting him and of having an affair with another woman.
He'd felt as though he was being swept along on a tide of circumstances that he was incapable of stopping. This is all her doings, he thought in frustration as he plodded up the stairs behind her. She was the one who no longer had faith in him, in their marriage. She was the one who wanted the divorce.
Well, he thought stubbornly, I guess I'll go through with it, because what's a marriage without trust? He looked up at his partner, marching methodically up the steps with her head held high. It hadn't always been like this, had it? He shook his head and continued to climb along with her, lost in thoughts of the past. The ascent is an eternity up the eight flights of stairs felt like.
"Oh, you must be the Mr. Choi and Mrs. Yoon!'' The receptionist greeted them with a too-bright smile as they finally entered the Huening's modern beige office, both a little out of breath.
Minhwan heaved a sigh of relief, thankful to be out of the oppressive atmosphere of the stairwell, alone with his wife.
"That's right," he said, smiling in return. He paused to catch his breath. "Will you please tell Mrs. Jung I've arrived?"
"The Huenings are running a little late this morning," the receptionist said, looking first at Minhwan, then at Sarang. "It seems they've had some car trouble. If you would just have a seat..."
Sarang sighed and headed into the waiting area, her soon-to-be ex-husband following close behind. He took off his raincoat and turned to help Sarang out of her, but she was already hanging her coat on the coat rack. He grimaced and hung his coat up next to her. They sat down together in a set of plush green chairs in the corner of the waiting room. Sarang picked up a magazine, opened it randomly, and began to read. Minhwan followed her lead, grabbing a copy of a magazine off the glass coffee table and turning to the feature story. They sat quietly together, the silence interrupted only by sounds of pages turning. Minhwan couldn't concentrate. He gazed down at the page, the words blurring in front of him. The wall clock sat across from him, its second hand rotating slowly around the face. The wait seemed interminable. He'd never felt so powerless in his life.
Sarang stared at a picture of the interior of a beach house in Malibu. The spread depicted a happy young couple lounging in a living room decorated like a tropical paradise. The picture made her heart constrict, and she slammed the magazine shut. Her foot tapping impatiently, she wished the Huenings would appear. She didn't know how much longer she could endure being in the same room with her husband.
Finally he broke the silence, unable to bear the tension in the air. "Well, it seems that everything that can go wrong, will," he said, looking at his watch, annoyed. "It poured this morning, the elevator is broken, the Huenings are late.... I'm surprised the electricity is still working."
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Minhwan regretted them. He had unwittingly made a reference to their honeymoon in Paris, when the electricity in their hotel room had been out for most of the week. Despite terrible weather and every sort of mishap possible, the trip had been a romantic and unforgettable experience.
Minhwan looked away, hoping his remark would go unnoticed, but Sarang picked up on it. "You know, that reminds me of-" she began. Suddenly there was a sharp pop and the lights in the waiting room went out. The two both jumped in surprise, then started chuckling in spite of themselves.
"Oh, dear!" exclaimed the receptionist. "I'm so sorry! I'll be back in a second." She jumped up and went in search of the fuse box.
"... of Paris, when there was no electricity in our hotel room," finished Minhwan, laughing softly.
"Or in most of the city, for that matter," added Sarang. She closed his mouth quickly, sorry that she had engaged in a conversation with her partner.
Minhwan's eyes were slowly adjusting to the dim light in the room. He watched as his partner fidgeted with the handle of her bag. The gesture, combined with the sudden memory of their Parisian honeymoon, filled him with unexpected tenderness.
"Sarang, remember when we ate by candlelight in that Greek restaurant in the Latin Quarter?" he ventured tentatively.
"That was so romantic," she said wistfully, thinking back to the evening. She remembered sitting across from Minhwan in the intimate French restaurant, swept away with emotion. Quite a contrast to the last few years, when they had eaten at opposite ends of a long dining table, barely able to see each other. And that was on the nights he was home. Usually Sarang, San, and Seungyoun ate alone in the kitchen while Minhwan stayed at work. Sarang's thoughts returned to the past, when she and Minhwan had gallivanted around Paris like enchanted teenagers. Their honeymoon had been such a magical experience.
"Until our waiter started dropping everyone's orders!" Minhwan added.
"That's right," said Sarang, transported to the past. "It was so dark that you stepped on a dish of moussaka on our way out of the restaurant."
"Yeah, everything was on strike that week," Minhwan recalled. "Electricity, trains, metro..."
"We had to walk all the way across the Seine in the pouring rain to get to the Louver," Sarang remembered.
"And it was closed because of the blackout!" added Minhwan.
"Oh, Minhwang." said Sarang, reminiscing, "you were so disappointed that night, so you took me to an old movie theater to cheer me up. But the movie was in French, and we couldn't understand a word!"
"That's right," Minhwan said. "We just sat in the balcony, giggling together, trying to fill in the dialogue."
"When we left, the sun was shining, and the streets of Paris were glittering." Sarang looked wistful.
"Remember our picnic in the Luxembourg gardens?" said Minhwan, gazing at his wife.
"Our picnic!" said Sarang. "I had forgotten about our picnic! We spent the whole morning shopping on St. Michel. We found a little blue blanket, and candles, and what else Sarang?"
"Red wine and cheese and bread," he said.
"Right, but then didn't it start pouring again?" she asked.
"Yeah, we ducked into a patisserie to get out of the rain.... But unfortunately, I already had a baguette in my hand," he recalled.
"The owner thought you stole it!" said Sarang.
"And we just ran!" said Minhwan.
"Oh, Minhwan," Sarang said, gasping with laughter, "the image of you running down St. Michel with that soaked baguette in your hand while this little French man chased you, screaming, 'Monsieur,monsieur, arrêtez, arrêtez!' It's just too much." She wiped tears of laughter from her eyes.
"That was the best baguette I ever ate," said Minhwan softly.
They were silent for a moment, lost in memories of the past. Minhwan looked tenderly through the dim light at his partner. Her eyes were sparkling and her cheeks were flushed. This is the woman I married, he thought, suddenly awash in new love for his partner. This is the woman I wanted to spend my life with.
The electricity suddenly came back on, bringing them back abruptly to the harsh reality of the present. The bright, artificial lights of the sterile law office provided a startling contrast to their hazy memories of Paris.
"Sorry about that!" the receptionist said cheerfully, popping back into the waiting area. "It appears we had some kind of electrical short. Something to do with the elevator. Everything's in order now."
Minhwan looked over at her, and was startled to see her sitting up straight with her lips tightly pursed. He tugged at his tie and turned away uncomfortably. Well, that moment had certainly passed. Just like that time in their lives had passed. What had happened to change everything? he wondered. When they had gotten married they had vowed that their whole life together would be one long honeymoon. When did the honeymoon end?
He tried to think back to the last time they had spent any real time together, just the two of them. He couldn't come up with anything. They were like strangers passing in the night now. He was up at dawn, at breakfast with the paper, at work until all hours, and then home for dinner. That is, if he wasn't out of town for business. He shook his head. He really had been working hard lately-well, actually, in the last few years. But hadn't he done it all for her, to provide her with a beautiful home and security?
Minhwan shook his head. He wasn't being honest with himself. He knew he couldn't buy her happiness. He had been taking her for granted for years, secure in the knowledge that she would be there when he left in the morning and waiting for him when he got home at night. Yes, this was all his fault. With all the time he spent away, and the meager amount of attention he gave her, who could blame him for being suspicious?
Choi Minhwan was filled with a new sense of purpose. He wanted Sarang back. He wanted the sparkling, vibrant woman he loved back. He wasn't going to let his pride ruin his marriage.
"Minhwan." He turned to him with urgency in his voice. "What I had with Mina is ancient history, and ancient history only. We were kids. She never meant, or could mean, what you mean to me."
"But I thought-" Sarang began, confused.
"I know what you thought, and I didn't do anything to discourage you. I don't blame you for having suspicions," Minhwan said. "But it's not another man or woman that has come between us, it's my work. And that's going to change."
"Minhwan, slow down, please. This is too much to digest right now," said Sarang, wanting badly to believe him.
"Let's go have breakfast," said Minhwan with newfound vigor, feeling younger than he had in years. "God only knows what happened to the Huenings, and frankly, I don't care."
An irresistible smile began to play on Sarang's lips. "Come on, let's go to our favorite place for brunch," Minhwan said, taking his hands between hers. "The Ocean Terrace." The Ocean Terrace was a popular seaside restaurant renowned for its fresh seafood dishes and its banquet-style brunch. When they first got married, they went there every Sunday morning. But, like so many other rituals, it had fallen by the wayside.
"All right, all right," said Sarang finally, laughing in between tears.
They gathered their coats and headed back toward the reception area. Minhwan held out Sarang's coat cautiously. She smiled as he slipped her arms into the sleeves. The receptionist looked at them, troubled. "I'm terribly sorry about the delay," she said, "but the Huenings should be here any minute. They called about ten minutes ago and said they were hopping into a cab."
"Quite all right," said Minhwan jovially. "In fact, I don't think we'll be needing their services any longer." He looked at Sarang for confirmation.
"That's right," said Sarang, her eyes sparkling. "Would you just leave them a message to that effect?"
"Of course, Mrs. Yoon," replied the receptionist, smiling.
"Do you still have the scarf that goes with that coat?" Sarang asked him with a sentimental smile as they turned to go.
"I keep it right here in my pocket!" Minhwan said proudly, reaching in and pulling out a pink chiffon scarf with "LMN" written all over it.
Sarang stared in horror at Lee Mina's scarf. To think I actually believed him! How could I have been so naive? How could I have actually swallowed his story that he had been busy with work and not another man? That was the oldest line in the book! How could I have allowed myself to get swept away so easily into the past and to forget about the ugly reality of the present?
She turned on her heel and ran from the room. Just as she got to the elevator, the doors opened and she found herself face-to-face with one of Lee Mina's daughter Heyi all too much like her Mother. Sarang felt as though she were going crazy, experiencing an onslaught of Lee Mina. He gasped and ran for the stairs.
Heyi watched in alarm as first Mrs. Yoon headed for the stairs, looking as if she'd seen a ghost, and then Mr. Choi came running after her, waving Lee Mina's pink scarf.
"Sarang!" he yelled. "It's not what you think!"
"Don't even bother," said San in disgust as Heyi came out to the car, sheepishly holding the wedding album and trying to explain what had happened. He had just seen his Mom run out the door in tears and get into her car. She had slammed the door, gunned the engine, and sped away, practically running down his father in the process. For some reason, his father had been waving a pink chiffon scarf.
San sighed. Back to square one.
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lee mina was wooyoung and heyi's mom. i'm too lazy to edit it. i might re-edit it if i'm done in college.